Military: 2,000 Dead an Artificial Mark

[RedEarth]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - As U.S. military deaths in Iraq approached 2,000 on Tuesday, the chief spokesman for the American-led multinational force called on reporters covering the conflict not to look at the event as a milestone.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Steve Boylan, director of the force's combined press center, described the number as an "artificial mark on the wall."

"I ask that when you report on the events, take a moment to think about the effects on the families and those serving in Iraq," Boylan said in an e-mail. "The 2,000 service members killed in Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom is not a milestone. It is an artificial mark on the wall set by individuals or groups with specific agendas and ulterior motives

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20051025/D8DF60686.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. An artificial mark on the wall?

You mean like the 50,000+ names on a wall in Washington?

[wtmusic]

2. Damn straight we have a specific agenda and ulterior motive

Bring 'em all home. Now.

[YOY]

10. Like we were denying it or something...

Unless he thinks we just love to support "terrorists" or some other Bushbot reply.

[onenote]

3. really bad choice of words

Wall -- as in Vietnam Memorial?

And by the way, I guess those "insurgent body counts" are artificial too.

onenote

[Tom Joad]

4. To see something like what 2,000 looks like...

see this post
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5163930&mesg_id=5163930

[Loonman]

5. Kinda

When you think about the possibly thousands of GIs with arms and legs and what else blown off, or too psychologically damaged to function.

[jaxx]

6. It was expected that the long arms of the adm would downplay the deaths

after all, dubya said today that there would be more sacrifices. And he ought to know, with all the funerals he's attended for those sacrificial troops.

[Der Blaue Engel]

7. WTF?

"It is an artificial mark on the wall set by individuals or groups with specific agendas and ulterior motives"????

Now the deaths are artificial? Noticing and honoring our dead: that's un-American and clearly proof of an ulterior motive.

He "called on reporters" to ignore our dead soldiers! How low can these people get?

:wtf:

[wtbymark]

8. No. 2,000 is 2,000

and probably a real low estimate considering they don't count soldiers who die in air transport or in a German hospital. And it's 2,000 too many. I wouldn't mind seeing casualties on Penn. Ave. These assholes should be thrown in Gitmo.

[porphyrian]

9. That's right.

It doesn't take into account all the wounded and permanently maimed, nor does it account for the dead soldiers they haven't reported at all yet. You're supposed to lie to protect the feelings of the soldiers' families rather than attend or acknowledge their funerals, see. It's a matter of someone's morale.

On edit: It's "morale," not "moral."

[ComerPerro]

11. It is just a mark on the wall. There will be more deaths

[bettyellen]

12. how dare they dishonor the fallen again like this....

they are way to comfortable hiding the bodies, this administation.

[Jara sang]

13. Lt. Col. Steve Boylan is a propagandist

and a liar.

[Marr]

14. Oh that's good. I'm sure his/her artificial mother won't mind then.

[TahitiNut]

15. In other words, THEIR DEATHS DON'T REALLY COUNT?

Fuck you, Boylan! :grr: Go to Iraq and die and see if your death is "artificial"!

[Bob3]

16. Sorry it is a mile stone - a major one on long tragic useless road

2,000 is a lot more that none. And that 2,000 are gone demands an answer to the question what the hell did they die for? Can you tell me -no of course you can't.

[Sydnie]

17. CNN announced a name of the "2000th" death and a date of death

They said this death took place on October 1! If this death was on October 1, why have they taken so long to announce that?

Is it a case of ANYTHING to distract, even if it's bad for them?

[Loonman]

18. How do you ask somebody to be the last person to die in Iraq?

Over a lie?